In the handling and storage of materials, particularly frangible food materials such as corn flakes susceptible to undesirable breakage from impact or agitation, serious problems arise during various steps of the processing where bulk handling and storage is required.
A case in point is the requirement for temporary storage in large cubicle containers which are stacked in storage areas, the containers having a cubicle configuration for conservation of space. In filling such containers from fixed discharge hoppers the corn flakes or like material flowing at a uniform rate from the hopper tends to form a conical pile having a slope angle based on the flow characteristics of the particular material. In order to provide more effective distribution than would result from central discharge into a stationary container, prior means have been provided for rotating the container in offcenter relation during discharge thereby forming a conical ridge spread over a wider area of the container than would result from central filling.
In order to minimize drop distance of the material, provision has also been made to lower the container during rotational filling so that the drop never exceeds approximately six inches; however, even with such provisions the uniform flow of material down the slopes of the conical ridge has left the four corners of the container inadequately filled. Since manual redistribution of the material either during or subsequent to filling is undesirable from both a breakage and labor standpoint a need for improvement in the filling system has persisted.